System for Sharing Video with Advertisements Over a Network

1. A system for sending a video and an associated advertisement over a computer network, comprising: (a) a first computer system for connection to other computer systems over a computer network, the first computer system including: (1) a first module operating on the first computer system for acquiring a video segment; (2) a second module operating on the first computer system for generating an identifier associated with the video segment; (3) a third module operating on the first computer system for accepting an indication of intent to send the video segment to another computer; (4) a fourth module operating on the first computer system for automatically sending the video segment and the identifier over the computer network to a receiving computer; and (5) a fifth module operating on the first computer system for accepting from a sender an indication of an advertisement to be associated with the video segment and for transmitting the indication to another computer; and (b) a second computer system comprising storage and for connection to other computer systems over the computer network, the second computer system including: (6) a sixth module operating on the second computer system for automatically receiving the video segment and its associated identifier sent by the first computer system over the computer network; (7) a seventh module operating on the second computer system for storing an advertisement; (8) an eighth module operating on the second computer system for associating the advertisement with the video segment; (9) a ninth module operating on the second computer system for storing the video segment and associated identifier in the storage; (10) a tenth module operating on the second computer system for receiving an indication to associate the stored video segment and the advertisement; (11) an eleventh module operating on the second computer system for converting the video segment into a streaming video format independent from a command to perform such conversion; and (12) a twelfth module operating on the second computer system for sending the video segment, the identifier, and the associated advertisement from the storage to a receiver computer system.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: (13) a thirteenth module operating on the second computer system for determining a price to be charged for one or more of storing said advertisement, associating said advertisement with said video segment, and sending said video segment, said identifier, and said associated advertisement from said storage to said receiver computer system.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein said module determines the price based on a number of transmissions of said video and said associated advertisement multiplied by a rate of charge per transmission.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein said rate of charge is based on one of a type of video, a length of said video, and a quality of said video.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein said module determines the price based on a fixed price.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein said module determines the price based on a percentage of a sales amount incurred in response to said advertisement.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: (14) a fourteenth module operating on the second computer system for determining whether an operator of the receiver computer system is present during the presentation of the advertisement.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: (c) a third computer system for connection to other computer systems over a computer network, the third computer system including: (15) a fifteenth module operating on the third computer system for determining whether an operator of the receiver computer system is present during the presentation of the advertisement.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said fifteenth module for determining whether an operator of the receiver computer system is present during the presentation of the advertisement comprises: a module that causes the display of the advertisement to pause; and a module that senses if an action is performed by the viewer of said advertisement.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein said module that senses if an action is performed by the viewer of said advertisement senses one of a button activation, a switch activation, an activation of a pointing device, a response to a prompt, and a physical response of the viewer.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein said prompt is in the form of a question.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein said physical response of the viewer is one of a voluntary action and a physiological response.

13. The system of claim 9 , further comprising: a module that determines what events will transpire in response to said action by the viewer.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein said module that determines what events will transpire in response to said action by the viewer causes the commencement or resumption, as appropriate, of the display of one of the advertisement and the video segment.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein said module that determines what events will transpire in response to said action by the viewer causes one of the advertisement and the video segment to terminate.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein said module that determines what events will transpire in response to said action by the viewer causes a predetermined response to occur if the viewer fails to take action within a predefined time interval.

17. The system of claim 13 , further comprising: a module that reports one of the action of the viewer and the time of the action to the second computer system.

18. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: (16) a sixteenth module operating on the second computer system for determining a payment to be made to one of a sender of an advertisement associated with a video segment and a viewer of the advertisement.